Manifolding apparatus.



No. 762,938. 'PATENTED JUNEZl, 1904.

' GIH. LPS.

MANIFOLDI PPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAE; 9, 1904.

no MODEL.

Wym. "1.7.. n

I citizen of the United States, and a resident of tional space is wasted because of the irregupage and there 'may be only one or two on- 4 book of the character referred to, becausc it UNITED STATES.

Patented June 21, 1904.

P TENT OF ICE;

MANIFOLDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,938, dated June 21 1904.

Application filed March 9, 1904.

To rill" whom, it 12-Day concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE'H. PHELPS, a

Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mauifolding Apparatus, of which the following description,in connection with the accompanyin g d rawi'n gs, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the'production of simple and conveniently-used a paratus for facilitating the making of manifold autographic book entries simultaneously with the preparation of an invoice orbill insuch' a manner that no space is wasted on the leaf of the record or invoice book.

It is common to use bookshaving one or more bill-heads to the page bound in with each leaf of the book, a sheet of carbon-paper being inserted between the bill-head and the companion leaf before making out the bill with pen or pencil, and afterward the-billhead isdetached, leavingacarbon copy'thereof on the leaf of the book. Manifestly a very considerable space is wasted on every leaf, corresponding to t e 'spaceoccupied by the usual printed heading on the bill, and addilarity in the number of lines used for theseveral entries on the bill. If a book of the character specified has, say, three bill-heads to the tries made on each bill, it will be obvious that not only is there much unnecessary wa te space on the record-page between the several sets of entries, but frequently more blank space will intervene between sets of entries than is required for the entries themselves. As manifold systems are generally used by business concerns having a large number of daily entries to be made, it follows that the more numerous the entries in a book su chas left on the record-pages between the entries. There is no elasticity about a manifold-entry is impossible'in any business to determine boforehand how many entries will fall to different bills, as one bill mayhave but one or two Serial No. 197,279. (No model.)

entries; the next fifteen or twenty, then one of seven, andso on, and if a certain number' of bill-heads are'bouhd in with every recordleaf such bill-heads must be used'as best they made with a minimum of waste space on the record-leaves and which is self-adapting to he size of the billthat is, to the number of entries thereon.

In the use of my inventlonl prefer to use loose record-leaves, which may, if desired, be

blank; but I prefer, and it will generally be found more convenient, to have the leaves ruled on both sides with horizontal and vertical lines arranged to meet the requirements of the business for. which they are to be used, the leaves .being subsequently bound in book form for preservation. Bill heads of different lengths are prepared, preferably ruled with horizontal and vertical lines to exactly correspend with the ruling of the record-leaves.-

The printed heading is suitably worded, care being taken to have on all sizes of bill-heads the same spacing for the blank lines'(for customcrs name, date, 850., to be written therein) and with the same arrangement relative to thetop edge of the bill-head and the top line of the horizontal ruling in the body of the bill-head. By means of the apparatus hereinafter to 'be described and which constitutes the gist of my invention each loose record-leaf and several successive bill-heads are so ar ranged or combined temporarily that the entry clerk can choose a bill-head of a size suitable for the number of lines of the entry, place it upon the record-leaf with a carbonshcet interposed, and make out the bill( A duplicate thereof as to name of purchaser, H date, See, and the entry is. made simultane ously upon the record-leaf, and by a simple device the application of the next bill-head to the record-leaf is so regulated that after the entry thereof is made there will be.o.nly-so much space left'between two successive invoices on the record-sheet as'is necessary to By the manifold system the making out of a the apparatus to be described.

' faces may be graduated, as at 11, Fig. 1, to

can be swung up away from the base or it can distinctly. separate them. As a matter of fact i the separating-spaces between successive invoice entries on the record-leaf are so regulated that they can be exactly the same as ifsuch entries were written directly and inde-- pendently upon the leaf. After one side of a record-leaf is filled it is removed from the apparatus, turned over and reinserted, and its other side filled, after which it is removed and bound into book form with other filled leaves.

bill effects simultaneously the corresponding invoice entry on the record-leaf, such entry being a duplicate of the bill, so that the separate operation of invoice entries is obviated. the ledger being posted from the completed record-leaves. 4

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described inthe subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of an.autographic manifolding apparatus embodying one form of my invention, showing the ap-. paratus in use, the lower portion of the same being broken out toeconomize space. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional detail on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, the record-leaf and the carbon-sheet being omitted to avoid confusion in the drawing; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detaiL'in longitudinal section, on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking toward the-left. I

In the present embodiment of myinvention the same is shown as adapted for use in connection with loose record-leaves, and referring to Fig. 1 a rectangular base 1 is provided, and conveniently the base is a board of'sufficient size to sustain a record-leaf and the parts of At its upper end the base has an attached transverse rib 2 to which is pivotally connected, as by hinges 3, Fig. 1, a swinging support shown as an open frame comprising top and bottom bars 4 5 and parallel elongated sides 6. This frame be brought down to rest thereon, as shown in the drawings. and when swung up a-recordleaf it can be positioned on the base, the latter being provided with corner-gages 7, Fig. 1, to'maintain the leaf in a certain position with relation to the frame, and in practice a carbon-sheet O is superposed upon the recordleaf before the frame is swung down into operative position. At such time the under faces: of the sides 6 hold the carbon-sheet and record-leaf lirmly and smoothly upon the base. The sides 6 of the swinging frame or support are shown as rail-like in cross-section, Fig. 2, each side having an external longitudinal groove 8 and an inner groove. 9, the inner face of the side below the groove 9 being beveled, as at 11), and eitheror both of these beveled Y correspond with the transverse ruling of the record-leaf fora purpose to be described. In 1 practice the bottom cross-bar 5 is preferably arranged to depend below the sides 6 to just clear the lower edge of the-base 1 when the frame is in operative position, and in Fig. 2- the dotted lines indicate this relative position of the cross-bar 5.

Upon the support or frame I mount a bill head holder, herein shown as a member 12, extended transversely of the frame and slidably connected therewith to move lengthwise thereof, and by reference toFig. 2 it will be seen that the ends of the member 12 are shaped at 13 to enter the grooves 9 and slide upon the beveled faces 10. The member 12 is a flat tened bar, of wood or metal, preferably the latter, as is also the frame, and a thin bladelike foot 14 is rigidly secured to the under faceof the member, projecting beyond the same and slightly above the=surfaceof the turned prongs 16 at its free edge, the prongs clearing the edge of the foot 14. (See Fig.

3.) The pintle 17 extends through the leaves ofthe several hinges 15", and springs s are coiled around the pintle, one end of each spring bearing against the top of the member 12 and the other end against the flap 15, the winding of thesprings being such that the flap is normally held in the position shown in the drawings.

At one side of the member'12 a bracket 5 18 is secured, having cars 19 overhanging the i top of the adjacent side 6, and in said ears'is ioo pivoted at'20 a clamping-cam or eccentric 21,

having a finger-piecc or handle 22. When the latter is in the position shown in the draw- "f ings, the cam bears upon the top of the side v6 and clamps the bill-holder from movement relatively to the support, as will be manifest from an inspection of Fig. 2.

An indicating device or pointer is preferably used in connection with the apparatusto indicate, the position at which the bill-head holder is to be set after one or more bills mounted on either side of the frame.

Asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, a slide 23 is shaped to embrace the head of one'of the sides 6 of the frame and [it into the opposite grooves have been entered, and such pointer may be 8 and!) thereof, said slide having a pointer or index 24, adapted to travel over the beveled 1 face 10, and a set-screw 25 clamps the slide on the side of the frame.

The printed "heading of thebill -head is worded to suit the requirements of the busi- I ness, and whether the blank portion of the bill-head is long or short the heading will be the sameand so arranged that when the bill-;

' head is placed in the holder the spaces for the customers name, date, address, &c., will be displayed below the free edge of the flap 15. When the top edgeof the bill-head is pushed against the upright face 12 of the mem- I and bill-heads, so that the latter can be read- 12 which serves as a positioning-stop. Supon the supporting-frame far enough to propber 12, the bill-head will be properly positioned with the top line of the entry ruling on the bill-head at a fixed distance from the face posing the frame is in position upon a recordleaf R- and a superposed carbon-sheet (J, the entry clerk chooses a bill-head of a suitable size for the desired entry and inserts it in the bill-head holder, lifting up the flap 15 for this purpose by means of a knob 26 into dottedline position, Fig. 3. The heading is slid in upon the foot 14 until its top edge touches the stop-face 12*, as in Fig. 3, and when the flap is released the prongs 16 engage and indent the biIl-head sutiiciently to hold it firmly in the holder. The latter is then slid upward erly position it with relation to the record- Ieaf inorder to make out the first bill, the clamp 21 being set to lock the hill-holder in position. In practice the graduations 11 correspond to the ruling of both record-leaves ily set by means of the graduations. The bill is then made out with pen or pencil, as desired, the items or entries being made one after another on the ruled part of the billhead B, and by means of the carbon-sheet C everything written upon the bill-head will be duplicated upon the record-leaf, serving as the record of the entry. The bill may be a long one, occupying one entire side of a record-leaf, or if the bill contains a small number of items several bills can be entered on the same record-leaf. 'hen a bill has been completed/the clerk moves the slide 23 down until the pointer or index 24 is opposite the line on which the last entry has been written and clamps the slide thereat. The completed bill is removed and a fresh bill-lu-ad of proper length for the next billing is inserted in the holder, whichis then unclamped and slid down the frame, until some-part thereof is opposite the pointer 24. In Fig. 1 thefreeedge of the flap I5 is taken as the gage-mark, it being supposed that one bill has beenpreviously made out and that the apparatus is in readiness for a second billing. -'Ihis arrangement leaves sufficient space on the record-leaf between the last item of the preceding enti y and the name of the customer to whom the next bill is to be made out, and by regulating the position of the pointer the operator can control at will the spacing between invoices on the recordleaf in order to use the same most economically. From tlie foreg'oing it will be seen that the length of a billing that is, the number of entries thereon is of no moment, as a long bill can follow one. or more short ones, or there may be any order in which the billings are entered and recorded upon the record-haaf without any unnecessary waste of paper by the spacing. After om-side of a record-leaf is full the supportirig-frame is swung up and the l leaf removed and turned over and reinserted and filled on the other side, as has been described.

The base 1 rests conveniently on a desk or table, and as the frame is open there is i'u'ithing' in the way of the operators hand as the billconstruction and arrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be modilied or changed in arious particulars by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I I I. In apparatusof the classdescribed, a support, a holdermmintml thereupon and movable lengthwise thereof, to hold and position a bill-head with its body portion exposed, and a device mounted on the support and movable independently of the holder to indicate the proper position of the holder for the next billing.

2. In apparatusof the classdescribed, a support adapted to rest upon a recordleaf havinga carbon-sheet superposed thereon, a holder mounted upon said support and movable lengthwise thereof, to hold and position a billhead with its body portion exposed and resting upon the carbon-sheet, whereby matter written upon the said bill-head will be duplicated upon the record-leaf, means to lixedly position the holder while entries are made upon the bill-head held thereby, and a device movable on the support to indicate the proper position of the holder for the next billing".

3. In apparatus of the class described, an open supporting-frame hinged at its upper end and adapted to rest upon a record-leaf having a carbon-sheet superposed thereon, a holder mounted upon the sides of the frame and slidable lengthwise tlnrreof, to hold and position a bill-head with its body portion resting upon the carbon-sheet, whereby entries upon the bill-head will be duplicated upon the recordleaf, a clamp to position the holder on the frame while entries are made upon the billhead, a line-gage on the frame corresponding to the transverse ruling of said record-leaf,

and a pointer slidable on the frame to indicate the proper-position of the holder for the next billing.

4. In apparatus of the class described. an

i open supporting-frame adapted to rest upon a record-leaf, a member extended transversely of and s lidablymou nted on the sides of the frame, means carried by said member to support and hold the heading of a bill-head, a stop for the top edge of the bill-head, the

ody portion thereof being exposed above the record-leaf, and a manually-controlled device to indicate the proper position of the said member for the next billing, entries upon a bill-head being duplicated upon the record-leaf by an interposed carbon-sheet.

5. In apparatus of the class described, an open frame, aholder slidably mounted thereon and movable lengthwise thereof, said holder having a blade-like foot to sustain the heading of a bill-head, means to detachably secure a bill-head to the holder with thebody portion of the bill-head exposed and projecting beyond the foot, and a device to clamp the holder to theframe.

-6. In apparatus of the classdescribed,a base, means to position a loose record-leaf thereon, an open frame pivotally connected at its top to said base and having parallel sides, a billhead holder extended from side to side of and slidably mounted on the frame, and a pointer 7. In apparatus of the class described,a base, I means to positiona loose record-leaf thereon,

an open frame pivotally connected at its top to said base and having parallel sides, a billhead holder extended from side to side of and slidably mounted on the frame, to hold and position a bill-head with its body portion exposed and resting upon a carbon-sheet superposed upon the record-leaf, a line-gage on one of the frame. sides, and'a manually-movable pointer carried by the frame to indicate the proper position of the holder for successive billings and thereby regulate-the spacing on the record-leaf between successive billings In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. v

GEORGE PHELPS.

Witnesses:

JOHN (J. EDWARDS,

MARGARET A. DUNN. 

